Curse

Ashley Twig · Jul 25, 2005, 11:20 AM // 11:20

It's about time that I post something positive in this forum, so here it comes:

Saturday morning 6am in germany.
Everybody is still asleep, the few characters in english-1, passed out, but are still logged on, but they don't respond to anything.

german-1: same thing here.

So I switch to the french district, and since I don't speak french I just post the usually "anyone for mission" on the local chat.

Maybe out of desperation (the french-1 was pretty empty too) they invited me to their team. I explained to them, that I don't speak french and ask if that's going to be a problem.
One guy sais: no problem, and that he can translate, if necessary.

Now I heard and read about french mentality (probably one of those generalizations again) that french people are proud of their language and don't like people that don't even try to make the effort to comunicate with them.

That team proved that theory totally wrong.
We had a great time, great mission, did the bonus, did the follow-up mission too.
Big success. Never had a smooth-going mission in a long time.
It was just amazing and overwhelming.

So here again: Thanks, french team. It's been one of the best teams I ever joined.

Sekkira · Jul 25, 2005, 12:48 PM // 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashley Twig

INow I heard and read about french mentality (probably one of those generalizations again) that french people are proud of their language and don't like people that don't even try to make the effort to comunicate with them.

Generally most french have that attitude, which is annoying. But not every french dude is an asshat :> Same could be said for the rest of the world really.

Aniewiel · Jul 25, 2005, 12:55 PM // 12:55

There are good and bad in every country and culture. Glad you found a good group.

Watersong · Jul 25, 2005, 01:05 PM // 13:05

You have to love stereotypes. No matter how untrue they are.

Ashley Twig · Jul 25, 2005, 01:10 PM // 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekkira

Generally most french have that attitude, which is annoying.

Woa, please don't get this thread closed by posting generalizations about how a culture is or isn't.

This is one of the few (if any before) positive threads I started.

I want to enjoy it while it lasts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniewiel

There are good and bad in every country and culture. Glad you found a good group.

Me too. All the more glad because it was my first french group I joined.

Witchblade · Jul 25, 2005, 01:19 PM // 13:19

Well i m french myself and i d say there different are types of mentality everywhere.

The usual thing i always hear about french ppl is the NOOB term as a description, french are often seen as the worst to team with, and i dare say its often the case

The mentality is a lot "Me, Me Me and you just suck"

In my case, i rarely play with french ppl except friends or guild members thats all.
(And that gives me an occasion for practicing my bad english^^)

So yes, i kinda agree to what u said, a lotsa french dont make an effort to communicate, but u know there are always exceptions^^( i agree with what Sekkira just said)

Funny detail, when making party for something, ex: FoW or UW, i ve seen sometimes ppl being kicked from groups with a "Kick the French one, they re noob"

Mormegil · Jul 25, 2005, 01:22 PM // 13:22

Actually the elite of french culture always supported this mentality. France is one of the few countries in which everything is translated and transformed.

Computer is Ordinateur, Michelangelo is Michel-Ange ( I always laugh on this)computer mouse is Souris (which literally means "mouse" in french).
While I consider this an act of supreme idiocy, an attempt at raping others' languages, and an aspect of their nationalism (in this case, a lexical nationalism), you can't really blame french people of today for a tradition which is many hundreds of years old.

And yes, they sometimes ignore anyone not speaking French correctly, but that doesn't mean you can't find nice french people with common sense!

Witchblade · Jul 25, 2005, 01:30 PM // 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mormegil

Actually the elite of french culture always supported this mentality. France is one of the few countries in which everything is translated and transformed.

Computer is Ordinateur, Michelangelo is Michel-Ange ( I always laugh on this)computer mouse is Souris (which literally means "mouse" in french).
While I consider this an act of supreme idiocy, an attempt at raping others' languages, and an aspect of their nationalism (in this case, a lexical nationalism), you can't really blame french people of today for a tradition which is many hundreds of years old.

And yes, they sometimes ignore anyone not speaking French correctly, but that doesn't mean you can't find nice french people with common sense!

1000000% agreed ^^

That habit to translate everything makes me sick also ^^
I m sure that cauz of that we must sounds moronic

I find ur "raping" term funny and sometimes appropriate

Ashley Twig · Jul 25, 2005, 01:38 PM // 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mormegil

France is one of the few countries in which everything is translated and transformed.

Count germany in:
keyboard = Tastatur
monitor = Bildschirm

A few years ago I read an article of one guy seriously suggesting we should have german SQL statements.
Good bye to 'select from' and hello to 'wähle von'.

Just recently somebody suggested to change the way we speak numbers.
Like 42 e.g. is fortytwo, but in germany it's (1:1 translated) two-and-forty.
We've been living with two-and-forty for ages and now they want us to say forty-and-two.
How weired is that? I'm glad, nobody took this suggestion too serious, but it's been a real hit for the press.

But then again, every country has to deal with it's issues.

That's why I think GW is paying a very good tribute to uniting the nations, even if it's in some rather limited way.

It's like StarTrek where you have a crew from many parts of the universe, and they all team up for something good.

Sunrazor · Jul 25, 2005, 01:40 PM // 13:40

I hear that there even a few nice Americans running around.

Auntie I · Jul 25, 2005, 01:46 PM // 13:46

I live in Canada in an acadian and english mixed community. French (acadian style) is as common as english. Acadians are more relaxed (lazy) about translating words into french. The people I know use "computers" and eat "Big Macs". Having said that there are certain "bad habits" that many french speaking people have. They do translate many things that they really shouldn't. An example is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The name is latin, which shouldn't be translated into another language. Several hundred years ago it was decided that we needed a language that no one spoke any more to be a language of communication in the sciences. Latin was chosen as that language. Most people do not translate latin. So any french speaking people out there who read this, remember it's Nova Scotia NOT Nouvelle Ecosse.

Mugon M. Musashi · Jul 25, 2005, 02:01 PM // 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mormegil

Actually the elite of french culture always supported this mentality

how many french elites actually play GW ?

(maybe I should count myself ?)

there are asses everywhere
and those who believe in stereotypes should just burn in hell
I hate these people who believe something without even knowing anything about it

Algren Cole · Jul 25, 2005, 02:20 PM // 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watersong

You have to love stereotypes. No matter how untrue they are.

stereotypes aren't true?

Numa Pompilius · Jul 25, 2005, 03:13 PM // 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashley Twig

Woa, please don't get this thread closed by posting generalizations about how a culture is or isn't.

I've only been to France once, and only met a handful of French people outside France, but never encountered any snobbishness or people unwilling to talk English.

Currently France is getting a lot of bad press from the US because of its opposition to the Iraq war. Condoleezza Rice laid out the PR campaign plan to sell the war to the US public despite international concerns: "Forgive Russia. Ignore Germany. Punish France."

(yes, really)

This is still the US position, and the PR campaign has been spectacularly successful. However, that's all it is - a US PR campaign designed to divide the EU.

Cap'n Hoek · Jul 25, 2005, 04:33 PM // 16:33

Prove it.

Darkest Dawn · Jul 25, 2005, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Frankly I think we'd all get along a lot better without all the media and the slants we find there. In France they put down the States, in the States they put down France, etc... We are all just ordinary people who would get along just fine were we to hang out together!

I did a two year stint in Germany( I have German roots) and I had a ball there! Yet the media there talks negetive of Americans and that sways public thought to a certain degee. Yet the reverse is true here to a degree.

It comes down to this: News sells, bad news in particular. So the media paints negetives all the time about everyone and everything. Therefore it affects how we view other peoples.

Conclusion: we are all just ordinary people. Don't let that thought be blinded by what you hear and see on TV.

Ashley Twig · Oct 12, 2005, 07:27 AM // 07:27

I didn't want to open a new thread, so I thought, I'd take this one.

Being frustrated with FinalAssault, I changed to district French-1. To my delight, I got on a team really fast, explained real soon, that I don't speak any french, and I didn't even got kicked for being a necro (which still happens from time to time)

I was impressed how organized everybody was. Nobody rushed, everybody retreated when necessary, like there was some invisible telepathic link between team members. Very impressive.

But (and I shall not blame the french for it), as usual, when we got to the room with that robot, things turned pretty quick from impressive to pittyful.

I talked to the leader of the team (only guy who spoke english) and told him , what I thought would be the correct way to do it.

I don't know if he successfully translated, but we managed to kill the rage binders.

But then, the Djins... no way.

I always used to think, that language shouldn't be a problem in a rather limited game as GW. Everybody should know by now, how FinalAssault is played, which would make further talk totally irrelavant.

I was wrong.

Juhanah · Oct 12, 2005, 07:51 AM // 07:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashley Twig

Now I heard and read about french mentality (probably one of those generalizations again) that french people are proud of their language and don't like people that don't even try to make the effort to comunicate with them.

This mentality is stronger, and very true, here in Quebec. I think people here feel a menace from the rest of North America. They are scared to see french totally disapear from their life or something.
Our history vs England didn't help either i guess.

neoteo · Oct 12, 2005, 08:23 AM // 08:23

personaly i dont agree with the languages districs , there sould be only europe districs and thats it , puting people in diferent bags just becose of language is stupid , and makes virtual frontears ... this game is global and should be global thinking , i thank anet for giving us international ... but eorope doesnt need language separations , we are united !!

" i vote for a petition to merge europeans districs to just europe "

Yamat · Oct 12, 2005, 08:31 PM // 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watersong

You have to love stereotypes. No matter how untrue they are.

Stereotypes are stereotypes because of the element of truth about them... like US cops eat donuts and dumb hicks fix everything with duct tape... both are true.